


Hello Author, NPC Cale is Suffering

by SudeniShindeIru



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 백작가의 망나니가 되었다 - 유려한 | Trash of the Count's Family - Yulyeohan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arceus or Nintendo got at least one thing right, But He Should Be XD, Cale Hates Everybody, Cale Henituse | Kim Rok Soo Cannot Slack, Cale Henituse | Kim Rok Soo is Oblivious, Cale Tries to Avoid Battling, Cale does have a mareep though, Cale has farming pokemon, Cale is a Raid Boss, Cale is too skinny to be a Snorlax, Cale wants to be a Snorlax, Cale-Level Misunderstandings, Crack, Do AIs Dream of Electric Sheep?, Everybody loves Cale, Gen, I dunno but Cale dreams of snorlaxes, Kim Rok Soo is Still Cale Henituse, Pokemon, Pokemon Trainers, With pictures, he fails, not really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28965783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SudeniShindeIru/pseuds/SudeniShindeIru
Summary: Instead of Birth of a Hero, Cale gets isekai-ed into a video game. Quite literally because he keeps meeting trainers again and again. At least the video game was pretty well-developed so that he could blend in with the game AIs and not be deleted right?
Comments: 55
Kudos: 346





	Hello Author, NPC Cale is Suffering

**Author's Note:**

> If you can't see the pictures, they're also on [my tumblr](https://sudenishindeiru.tumblr.com/) . I really wasn't going to write the story, but I drew and messed around with the drawings so much that I ended up doing it. Might as well, haha
> 
> Btw, this fic is going to be poorly written, super short snippets because I actually don't remember much of Pokemon (hence why I gave up the first time haha). I just wanted to write a story with Cale and snorlax (though Cale never meets a snorlax in his lifetime in the Pokemon world).
> 
> But this fic can also be called "My Snorlax and Me" or "Cale and His Love For Snorlaxes" or "An Ode to Snorlax" :D

**Part 1: Pokemon!**

One day, Kim Rok Soo finds himself isekai-ed into a game.

Quite literally because he can't move from a certain area, can't ignore the system commands for him to take care of the Pokemon farm that his character apparently owns, can't rename his poorly named property (Cale's Super Sunshine Happy Farm), and can't turn off the music playing continuously in loop in the background.

Cale comforts himself in that the music is at least very peaceful and soothing music that sometimes even helps him sleep better at noon. He also comforts himself in that he can finally rest a lot, having not had a vacation for a long time since he became a team leader. 

After all, although he is the owner of a farm, the Pokemon and farm are all pretty much self-sufficient. The Oddishes, Hoppips, and Sunkerns take care of the grass fields, orchards, and crops. The Ledybas, Butterfrees, and Beedrills help pollinate the flowers. The Golducks and Marills help water the fields and the little Jigglytuffs, Aipoms, and Machokes help harvest, pack, and ship off the goods.

It's like a mini paradise where all he had to do is milk the Miltank, shear the Mareep, supervise and manage the overall operations, and troubleshoot the few problems that come up - and Cale is highly content.

That is, until one day, he hears Pokemon battle music reminiscent of the games he had once played in the distant past and he starts having to battle every wild Pokemon he sees that is hiding in the grass on the outskirts of his farm. Most of the time he tries to run away like an Abra, but the option fails a lot and Cale wonders if it is really because of his bad luck or because the system is fed up with his constant attempts to escape.

And then one day, Pokemon swarms become a thing and he has to fight off the invasions of wild Pokemon raiding his farm. Cale abhors the idea of grinding, even way back in his gaming childhood, but he practically has to every week and soon many of the Pokemon around him level up and evolve. Which actually isn't really a good thing because it seems that the game system adjusted to his higher level Pokemon and victories and increasingly sent proportionately higher level swarms.

And then, one day, Cale became absolutely sure that he is in a game because players in the form of Pokemon Trainers appear and begin challenging him. Again and again. Despite how many times he raises the amount they have to pay when they lose to him. Despite how many times he defeats them so utterly in hopes that they will never come back again. Despite how many times Cale tells them that all he wants to do is slack before they battle.

Cale is close to swearing (but he always stops because he is a responsible adult and who knows how old each player he meets is - he for sure isn't the one who is going to be responsible for a little kid learning their first bad word).

Cale tries to hide, but the trainers always find him and there's only so many places Waldo can be on a map, even if the borders of his territory has grown much larger than it originally was.

"I want to be a Snorlax." Cale says abruptly as he absent-mindedly helps a little Sentret that had tripped on the ground back up. It chitters happily in thanks as Cale continues musing on his new train of thought, "What a dream it would be to be relaxing on a field of Snorlaxes."

"It would be so nice..."

"Ah, there he is!! I'm going to beat you this time!! Just you wait!"

_"A field of Snorlaxes..."_ Cale continues dreaming...

"Hey! Are you listening to me? Do you see my eyes? Of course you do, it's a game. Maybe the server's lagging."

_"A field..."_

"Hey! Let's battle! I'm going to defeat you and make you pay me back millions of Pokedollars-"

...A vein pops out of Cale's head.

"Ah! Yes!! It appeared!! The exclamation mark appeared!! Alright, let's battle!! You're going to lose, you NPC bas-"

"...Fine. _Fine._ If you want to lose your money so badly, then so be it! I'll take all that you have!"

And so, Pokemon battle music descends for the n thousandth time.

* * *

Cale huffs as he sits on top of his mountain of treasures and Pokedollars like a boss. "Why is everyone always so eager to give me money? I thought setting the payout price high would discourage them from picking a fight with me, but more just keep coming."

Cale sighs and lies back down on his money hoard. His Blissey (from a time when he tried to apply to be a Nurse Joy, the only job he knew that didn't need to fight, to avoid Pokemon battles in desperation) pats him on the head in consolation as he sleeps.

One of these days, Cale is going to find the way to avoid Pokemon battles and cheat the system.

* * *

**Part 2: Snorlax!**

One day, someone gives Cale a Snorlax costume. 

He didn't know players could gift NPCs things.

While the design and idea of the costume is very childish (albeit better than the farmer outfit he once had and burned) and the costume seems like something he would never put on, Cale feels a very tiny bit touched that someone noticed his love for Snorlax and would gift him, a supposed NPC, something.

The player still challenges him to a battle, but for once in his time here, Cale doesn't make the player pay an exorbitant amount for losing.

_Extortion was for other people who trampled on his peace._

The player lingers for a while, chatting about their IRL life, but eventually leaves and Cale is left marveling at the costume, its softness in his hands slowly softening and melting his reluctance to put it on.

Eventually, he does and he is extremely happy, his eyes closing in joy as he basks in the costume that makes him feel like he is being snuggled by a cloud of warm, freshly laundered blankets. He wants to sleep and enjoy his present even more, but he freezes when he feels the telltale sign of another player on the map.

 _"No... Turn back. There's no one here-'"_ His mind automatically groans, but his eyes widen when he realizes that the large hood covers his eyes and he remembers that the rule says that trainers only have to fight trainers when they make eye contact. Maybe now that his eyes are covered-

"Ah! There you are! The legendary farmer! I challenge you to a fight!"

"!"

...Never mind.

Peripherally, Cale feels all of his joy channel into rage as the Pokemon battle music begins in the background again.

Yes, he is going to extort this kid of all of his money.

* * *

**Part 3: Random Encounters!**

Despite having lived for a long time in a Pokemon game, Cale was still very scared of Pokemon.

Who wouldn't be, Cale reasons to himself, when Pokemon could set things on fire with a turn of their tail, spit bullets of water that were stronger than a cannon, ensnare and choke people with grass, send you flying into the air with a flap of their wings, poison you with a slimy hug or gassy cough, and all the other things he knew about these creatures he somehow lived side by side by for months.

What scary creatures, Cale constantly finds himself thinking as he gives many swarms a part of his growing lands and harvest to appease them in hopes that they would stop attacking him. Sometimes, leading Pokemon of newcomer swarms would offer him their young to hold and Cale would wonder if they are trying to tell him that even their littlest babies could defeat him with a pinky or single breath as he cradles the baby Pokemon in his arms gently, too afraid to drop and offend the little monster of mass destruction.

Vicious, dangerous things. 

It didn't help that he has the Pokedex entries memorized.

(One time, Cale was comforting a young Eevee that had begun to follow him after he had defeated it. It would constantly challenge him and the Pokemon around it to fights and lose many times. One day, the Eevee sought out Cale and Cale felt bad for it enough to comfort the Eevee with pats on the head. "Why are you so impatient to get strong? You have plenty of time to get there. Just enjoy the life you have just the way you are right now", he told it. The Eevee listened with tears, and evolved into an Umbreon as it hugged Cale under the moonlight.

Of course, that was when Cale's records began to kick in.

_Umbreon. When darkness falls, the rings on the body begin to glow, striking fear into the hearts of anyone nearby. When agitated, this Pokemon protects itself by spraying poisonous sweat from its pores._

Cale didn't sleep or move at all that night when Umbreon settled and slept peacefully in his lap, too afraid to budge and accidentally startle the now poisonous monster. His mind whirred as he wondered what he said wrong for the Pokemon to choose to do something so threatening to him.)

Or that he could easily make a lot of observations and analysis about Pokemon attacks, qualities, etc. right off the bat with his experience of doing so for every new monster that appeared in Korea. (Cale carefully does not think about the Gengar and possibly many other Ghost Pokemons living in his shadow. If he doesn't acknowledge it, maybe it and the many things he witnessed aren't actually real.)

Vicious, dangerous things. 

But he learns to live side by side with them.

* * *

And sometimes, he really does enjoy their presence.

After all, Pokemon are ridiculously convenient creatures. Crops grow year round without his intervention because of Grass and Bug Pokemons. Heavy crates of fruits and vegetables, berries, flowers, and jars of honey are easily lugged around and transported by Machamps, Rapidashes, and other large Pokemon. Although there is no well or irrigation system, the Water Pokemon cooperate with the Grass Pokemon beautifully - and the many other Pokemon on his farm also offer their expertise and handle their responsibilities dutifully.

Although he became a vegetarian in his time in this world, Cale enjoys the easy labor in between the annoying Pokemon battles with trainers that come once in a while.

Besides the easy labor though, he really does find himself enjoying the Pokemon once in a while. 

Although Cale isn't sure what kind of game it is still (3D, almost VR MMORPG with AIs maybe?), the game's well-designed, extremely realistic, and filled with the sense of life as even the Pokemon has their own personalities and unique responses to things.

Cale didn't think he'd ever forget when one of the Machamps closest to him stepped forward when a player tried to attack him, shouting out many insults as he lunged towards him. The glare on that particularly large and muscular Machamp was especially frosty and even Cale wondered if usually happy Machamp was going to jump out of the player's screen to beat the player to death for trying to bully him. Cale couldn't help but smile all day that day, reminded of his team leader.

(Although Cale still didn't want to ever see his memories of that day he lost his first team again, the aromatherapy of the Grass Pokemon, the massages of the Aipoms, the presence of the fluffy Mareep and countless other Pokemon, and the time spent farming like they had once wished helped him come to terms with some of his past.)

Cale also didn't think he'd ever be able to forget the Snubbull that was following him everywhere he went now.

* * *

Cale didn't know where the Snubbull came from (like with many, many Pokemon on the farm now), but he remembers being attracted to its odd look from the start.

A pink bipedal bulldog with loose skin that appeared like a polka-dotted pink dress. An ugly, fierce-looking face to those that seemed to be looking down on it. A bright affectionate smile when it saw him and ran over to him.

 _Snubbull. Although it looks frightening, it is actually kind and affectionate. It has an active, playful nature._ His mental Pokedex says as he picks up the little Pokemon that is raising its arms in reminiscent of little children asking for a lift.

By now, Cale's been with Pokemon enough to know when one is asking for him to be their trainer and Cale huffs, an odd feeling in his chest as he gazes down at the little guy that likes him so much despite this being their first meeting.

"I should name you Choi Jung Soo." He says, somehow reminded of him.

Cale smirks as his thoughts run further and he recalls all the records of Choi Jung Soo asking him persistently to call him hyung. Cale never did, and looking at the little Pokemon reminding him of Jung Soo, he wonders in amusement if he should name the Pokemon Jung Soo and teasingly teach it to call _him_ hyung instead.

Cale is tempted, but he remembers with the help of his mental Pokedex of the Snubbull's final evolution, Granbull.

"...yeah, maybe I shouldn't name you Choi Jung Soo and bully you so much." Cale says to the little pink bulldog-like Pokemon that seemed to be wearing a pink, blue-polka-dotted dress. It was going to grow up into a giant buff bulldog with large sharp fangs and a height twice his own one day.

"Snubbull!!" The Snubbull smiles, hugging Cale's neck in a manner reminiscent to how Choi Jung Soo would sling his arms around Kim Rok Soo. It follows him from that first day they've met and Cale never stops him.

* * *

Cale meets a lot of Pokemon, but he realizes over time that he will never meet his soul Pokemon, a Snorlax, on his property because the Pokemon he meets are only the ones that were already there on his farm from the beginning or the Pokemon that migrate or attempt raids on his farm. Two things that Snorlaxes who follow his motto in life (to sleep, eat, and just enjoy slacking) would never do.

He wishes the Snorlaxes better luck than his own in their slack-ventures and resigns their fate as to that of star-crossed lovers.

* * *

**Part 4: Welcome to Earth 7!**

**Threads:**

**Infamous NPC Farmer Cale Beats The Number One Player of Pokemon World Online the MMORPG**

**Who the hell is Farmer Cale?**

**Farmer Cale's Undefeated Record and Achievements**

**How the hell is this NPC so strong? I would call hacks, but it's an NPC!! Who programmed this thing?**

**The Farmer Cale Fan Club**

**Due to the difficulty, game developers have now opened up the option to challenge Farmer Cale in teams and parties.**

**Hidden Secrets about Cale's Super Sunshine Happy Farm!**

**Adorable Screenshots of Farmer Cale with His Pokemon**

* * *

**[10 Most Ridiculous Things about Farmer Cale]**

**ShookPikachu:** Farmer Cale is literally the most ridiculous game character in the Pokemon game world. Just one look at his farm filled with _thousands of Pokemon with levels higher than that of Victory Road_ and you already know there's something off with this NPC. But here's a compilation of the top 10 _most ridiculous things about Farmer Cale._

 **1.** **His trainer class is a _Farmer_.** Not a Pokemon Breeder, not an Ace, not a Battle Legend, not the Former Pokemon Champion, not the Final Boss, but a mere _Farmer._ And this farmer kicks ass more than every single trainer in the Pokemon universe.

 **2\. He is ridiculously strong.** Farmer Cale has never lost a single Pokemon battle since the inception of Pokemon World Online. He is literally the strongest trainer, able to go against pro players, parties of players, and literal Pokemon swarms. Furthermore, not only is his team of farm-related Pokemon made up of max level Pokemon, but most of the Pokemon in and around his farm are high or max level Pokemon too!! Crazy!!

 **3\. He is also ridiculously smart.** This is confirmed not only by his ability to see through and counter any strategy possible, but also by his encyclopedic knowledge of Pokemon biology, habits, attack patterns, weaknesses, stats, etc. How is this guy not a Professor?! Um, Professor Oak, hello? There's a perfect disciple waiting for you at Super Sunshine Happy Farm. Hurry up and take him out of the Pokemon Battle world so that we pro players can have a chance to shine!

 **4\. He charges extremely high rates per battle loss.** This guy can easily make anyone go broke. He is easily the richest trainer in the world, possessing a literal dragon's hoard of treasures and cash in his backyard, and he still charges people so much! What an in-game scammer and extortionist of a character!

 **5\. He has a fan club that would literally give him all that they own including their souls.** The amount of funds and gifts that he, a minor game character, receives from the Farmer Cale Fan Club even exceeds IRL idols and celebrities. How truly ridiculous!

 **6\. His presence raises Friendship values.** Have you ever wondered a way to quickly raise the friendship/happiness value of your relationship with your Pokemon? Simply go to Cale's Super Sunshine Happy Farm. Yes, you heard that right. Being around Farmer Cale makes Pokemon so happy that they can evolve in Super Sunshine Happy Farm just by being there.

 **7\. Because apparently, Farmer Cale is a legend in the Pokemon world.** Yes, you also heard that right. Although he has never left his farm before, Farmer Cale is a legend throughout the Pokemon world because of his kindness in opening up his land, home, and storehouses to shelter and feed countless wandering and misfortunate Pokemon. According to a Lucario, sometimes Pokemon even journey to him so that he could hold and _bless_ their children. Although he hasn't yet, next thing we know, this guy might actually become a god like Arceus. 

**8\. He is so loved by Pokemon that he has his own army.** Yes, a minor game character has his own Pokemon army. A literal army of ghosts in his shadow, a literal army of Mareeps ready to zap anyone who crosses him to death more effectively than an electric chair, a Machamp ready to beat up anyone who bullies Cale with his fists, a Granbull ready to follow after with a murderous aura as strong as a Reshiram, and hundreds of farms and swarms worth of Pokemon. A pity to be anyone who crosses this man. You might be better off making an enemy of the world.

 **9.** **He is called the Silver Shield Hero because of his Steelix.** Okay, this one might just be my own incredulity, but seriously! I get that he is a hero because of that one in-game event incident where he stopped a giant horde of Pokemon in the middle of their way of rampaging into the nearby village, but a Steelix! He's a hero among NPCs within the game because of a _Steelix_. That is not a farming Pokemon!! Farmer Cale's hero name and heroic feat have nothing to do with farming! I feel so cheated! Why are you called a farmer?!

 **10\. His dream is to be a slacker.** Despite everything he is and he does, Farmer Cale's most commonly observed dialogue is about his dream of having an ordinary slacker life.

How can you say that you only want a slacker life after all this, Farmer Cale?! You're driving me insane! Developers, please nerf and give this guy some self-awareness stats! Someone needs to download the definitions of 'farming', 'ordinary', and 'slacking' into this guy's brain!

* * *

**CynthiaSimp:** I don't get it. How does Farmer Cale have so many fans? He literally wears the same thing everyday, has the same frown and annoyed/dead eyes when you battle him, and has no passion in life.

 **TrueNeutral:** Here, I once drew a picture to explain how Farmer Cale fans see Farmer Cale, his windswept hair and disgusted eyes when you challenge him:

**FarmerCale4Life:** Blasphemy! We see Cale-nim as much more than that! Here's a link to 9,537,243 more drawings of Farmer Cale. Words cannot explain our love for Cale-nim and why he is so awesome, you have to see it for yourself. We pray that you will one day reach enlightenment, CynthiaSimp!

* * *

**Part 5: Back to Canon!**

One day, the game is announced to be discontinued. For a week, Cale receives a lot of visits, last minute presents and battles, from the many players that he has met over time. He is both tired and exasperated by the influx of trainers, and though he does not know what will happen to him, he can't help but feel relieved that this will all be over.

Later, it turns out that he was right to not waste time to really think about it.

Arceus appears once all the players are gone with other Legendaries and informs him that with the help of other gods, his soul will be transported into another world. It may not be the one he came from, but Cale is a bit relieved that he isn't going to die yet.

Cale is also relieved that despite knowing that he is a 'bug' ('virus'? 'error'?) in this world, Arceus didn't do anything to him and is even taking care of transportation matters and logistics.

On the last night, Cale watches as thousands of Pokemon on his farm act out little performances for him, wanting to send him off with something but knowing that only his soul will be able to leave the world.

In the last hour, the Clefairy flock hover into the crisp air with little fairy dances under the illumination of the moon amidst a garden of white moonflowers that the Grass Pokemon bloomed. 

Cale watches everything with Record and, in the last few minutes, sleeps amidst a thousand soft Mareeps under the sweet scent of Bellossom petals and under the watch of his Granbull and Machamp.

When Cale wakes up, he is in another world.

* * *

And so, Cale finds himself as Cale Henituse in the Birth of a Hero world two years before the war between the Indomitable Northern Alliance and the rest of the Western continent.

Although there is no Gengar in his shadow anymore, he wakes up with an old assassin at his side and he doesn't know which is scarier. 

Although there are no parents pushing their ten year old kids to travel around the world despite the existence of villain teams and wild pokemon, he is aware of the other dangers this world holds as well and he frantically contemplates for a long time in the study before he makes his conclusion on this new world.

"...This is fine. There's no scary animals appearing everywhere I go, no trainers trying to fight me all the time, no rules that force me to talk and fight them when we look eye to eye... There'll be a war, but I won't be involved with it. It'll be okay."

Cale nods to himself.

"It'll be okay" he says with no idea about his future.

* * *

"!"

Cale flinches when he makes eye contact with Choi Han for the first time. As battle music once again rings in his ears, Cale automatically tenses, preparing to defend himself from the feral doberman and his equally vicious Houndoom-

...and then he blinks.

In the safety of his room, there is no wounded man with fierce eyes and an equally murderous aura. There is no Houndoom. There is no music signifying the start of two things he hated (battles and work).

"Oh, it was just a dream."

Later, Cale meets Choi Han and he even thinks that Choi Han is more of a Houndour than a Houndoom. 

Puppy-like... though still very highly dangerous.

* * *

Cale is in the Birth of a Hero universe, but sometimes, he still dreams of Snorlax.

The soft blue and beige fur, the squishy paws, the chubby belly that must be as nice to sleep on as the finest pillow...

He dreams that he is forever sleeping with a Snorlax...

Resting under the clear blue skies, under the warmth of the sun, and on the neverending lush green fields of grass...

In all kinds of positions, breathing softly in rest, forever at peace...

Cale smiles to himself in his sleep as he wonders if there are Snorlaxes in heaven.

Some people dream of sheep. Some androids dream of electric sheep and some NPCs in the Pokemon world dream of Mareep. 

Cale dreams of Snorlax and he is content.

* * *

The End.


End file.
